Alisa Smith Williams – Ai Meets 3D – Midjourney, Daz 3D & Stable Diffusion

Around ten years ago, Alisa discovered photography and developed an online network of artist friends. However, in 2019 she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, affecting her ability to photograph. During her treatment, she learned digital 3-D rendering software and Photoshop and, more recently, has been using AI art in her work. Despite acknowledging the controversy surrounding the use of AI in art using programs such as Midjourney, Daz 3D and Stable Diffusion, Alisa finds working with the software challenging and enjoyable,

Alisa Smith Williams is a practising forensic psychiatrist residing in Virginia, USA. She grew up in Tampa, Florida, during the 1950s and 1970s, a period she describes as idyllic. Her father was a self-taught architect who built homes for a living but was also a talented avocational artist, producing exquisite watercolour paintings. Alisa humorously mentions that one of her father’s paintings might be in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art after he won a promising Southern artists’ contest, and the work was exhibited but never returned. She has a facsimile of the artwork in her home office, which is beautiful.

While Alisa’s parents were both artistic, she could not draw and instead gravitated towards music and writing earlier in life. She later pursued jewellery making. Alisa lives with her husband on a 150-acre farm in Virginia’s rural region, where she shares her life with four cats and six hens, enjoying the tranquillity of her surroundings.

Alisa was heavily influenced by her father, sister, and brother’s creative pursuits from an early age. However, she was intimidated by her father’s exceptional artistic talent, deterring her from exploring her creative abilities. It wasn’t until around ten years ago that Alisa discovered photography when she picked up a camera and began taking photos. Initially, she focused mainly on macro flower shots, a niche she acknowledges is incredibly popular and requires considerable skill to stand out. Nonetheless, Alisa found joy in this new pursuit, allowing her to spend time outdoors. She also connected with other artists through her photography work, building a network of like-minded individuals online.

Alisa was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2019, which left her with several fractures, including her spine, shoulder, and ribs. Unable to hold a camera for an extended period, she realized photography was no longer viable. Instead, Alisa focused on digital 3D rendering software and taught herself Photoshop. Despite acquiring moderate skills in both areas, she remains committed to continuous learning through classes and tutorials. Recently, she began experimenting with AI art, acknowledging that it can be a contentious topic among artists. Alisa finds editing AI-generated images challenging and rewarding as she strives to make each piece her own.

I think it’s been a slow progression that has developed without my even noticing it. At one point, I chastised myself for not trying different things, but those things were just not me.  I know what I like and what look I’m going for.  As time passes, I think I get better at achieving what I’m hoping for.  But commonly, the idea that starts in my head is nothing like what ends up being the final product.  I’ve learned to let that roll.  Sometimes it turns out better – you never know.  Not that I don’t miss by a wide mile at times, because I certainly do.

I am now living very rurally.  I like that because it gives me quiet and a lot of time to think about things.  Outside my office window, I see deer, foxes, visiting feral cats – once even a bear.  I lived for almost 25 years in Atlanta, Georgia – one of the really large cities in the U.S. and the largest city in the American South (if you don’t count Texas).  I’ve been fortunate to travel a good bit, too, and I think influences always come to play, from getting out of one’s space into something different.  But I’m happy with where I am for now.

Alisa suggests that her father’s artwork inspires ideas, but she clarifies that her work is not derivative. Instead, Alisa deeply appreciates the illustrative works of artists from the late 1800s and early 1900s, such as Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, and Kay Nielson. Like these illustrators, Alisa sees herself as an illustrator, particularly drawn to classic fairytale illustrations that evoke both the magic and darkness of these stories. She finds the darker elements of these tales compelling and reminiscent of her childhood, where the ogres under the bridge, wolves in the forest, poisoned apples, and evil stepmothers made her heart race.

At present, I sell prints online – and I need to find a better platform for that.  I have an Etsy shop now, and I sell via FineArtAmerica.  But I’m still a full-time practising psychiatrist, and art remains not my primary living at present.  I would happily consider commissions but I haven’t reached out for anything because I worry about time.  One of these days, I will retire, I guess.

Colour is an important aspect of art for Alisa. It can convey emotion, time, and space and make or break how a viewer relates to an image. Alisa suggests she spends much time colour-grading her images to get the right feel. She does not rely on presets, preferring to tweak them herself. Williams believes that light is just as important as colour and can work with it to create a realistic world. She likes to create tiny worlds within flowers through light and colour, drawing inspiration from early 1900s illustrations.

When working on a project, Williams starts with a base image rendered through DAZ3d or Midjourney. She then moves to Photoshop, where she cleans up the background and any errors in the rendering. Williams is a prolific scavenger of overlays, often making them herself or finding them online in free resources like Pixabay. She layers them over the background using various blend modes and masking until she finds what works best.

Once the background is complete, Alisa moves on to the Photoshop process. She starts by correcting with brushes or the clone stamp, then applies a high pass to bring out detail. Williams then uses the posterization filter to deepen the illustration effect. She carefully does everything sparingly, often applying a new brush layer to darken shadows and highlights. Williams then layers on texture and uses additional filters like the unsharp mask and diffuse stylization to get a painted look.

Finally, Williams takes the whole image into the camera raw filter to finalize the exposure, contrast, vibrance, clarity, texture, and colour. She may do one more overlay layer to bring up shadows and highlights before making any final tweaks.

As of now, I exhibited in one local show, and have submitted works for a couple of broader internet or virtual shows. I would love to exhibit more.  It’s a really exciting way to engage with people who enjoy art.  I have been featured several times in online magazines with an Instagram presence.   I have a “bucket list” plan to incorporate some of my early years of writing and my love for art and dark fairytales.  I hope to start a blog for young teenagers incorporating scary stories and scary images/illustrations.  I target that time of life because things should be scary then without being horrifying – that’s my best possible world.  So far, it’s a bit of a pipe dream, but I keep turning it over in my brain.  Maybe I’ll get started later this year.

At the moment, I’m focused on enhancing the painterly elements in my work. I steer clear of using “actions” as they feel like shortcuts and don’t produce the desired result. I have several ideas swirling around in my head and would like to achieve a more vivid finish. Additionally, I’m considering developing a better platform to sell my prints.

My prints can be found on alisasmithwilliams.com (via Etsy) and alisa-williams.pixels.com. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. You can contact me via DM on my Instagram handle @alisasmithwilliams or email me at alisa@gryphab.com.

Alisa Smith Williams is a forensic psychiatrist based in Virginia with a deep love for the arts. Her passion for colour and light has led her to explore various mediums, including digital art and 3D rendering. Despite facing health challenges, Alisa has continued to evolve her artistic skills and draw inspiration from classic fairytale illustrations and surrealism. Her prints are available on her website, Etsy, and pixels.com. Alisa’s dedication to perfecting her craft and willingness to embrace new techniques inspires us all.

We wish Alisa continued success in her creative endeavours and look forward to seeing more of her work online and in galleries or books. It is clear that A.I. Art is here to stay and that working with A.I. programs such as MidJourney and Daz 3D is becoming the norm for many illustrators, Painters, Graphic Artists and Photographers.

With the emergence of innovative digital tools such as Midjourney, Stable Fusion, Daz 3D, and AI art, artists now have a plethora of options to create breathtaking art pieces that were previously impossible. These tools can potentially revolutionize the creative industries by enabling artists to create lifelike 3D renders and hyper-realistic images and even generate entirely new artwork using artificial intelligence. The ability to manipulate and enhance images with ease using these tools provides artists with new ways to express themselves and bring their visions to life.

The impact of these digital tools extends beyond the art world as well. With AI art, artificial intelligence can generate unique images that may inspire new industries and fields of study. The accessibility of these tools also means that more people can participate in the creative process, leading to a more diverse and inclusive art community. As we continue to explore the potential of digital art and AI, we can only imagine the possibilities and how they will transform the creative industries in the years to come.